Writing? What is that?

Today is another day with very little progress. It's already half past three and all I have managed to do so far is to clean the utility room, clean the windows inside and out and do some gardening. Writing has been pushed into a corner in favour of preparations for the visit in a few days.

I have, however, managed to post a book review and get some marketing done. Other than that, I'm still well behind in my writing. Only 28 chapters have been outlined in detail so far and that is only about half of the chapters to be done. It will be my next task on the list to continue with that.

While you are all waiting with baited breath for the next book, here is a little excerpt from

You can, of course, find it here: books2read.com/u/mYogEV

Chapter 3

Rob

I hadn’t noticed Lydia coming back home last night. I knew she went out with the girls to the pub and she would usually make sure that she would get home relatively early. She did have to go to work today after all.

Lydia was my little sister’s best friend. She worked as a receptionist at a local GP surgery and had wanted to live a bit closer to work as well as be a bit more independent than living at home on the farm with her parents would allow her to be. I had needed to have a housemate to share the costs of this little cottage and we had thought that sharing this cottage together would be the ideal solution to both our problems.

We both had our own bedrooms, both with ensuite bathrooms. We shared a living room and a kitchen between us. It had so far worked out really well in the year that we had lived together. We were great friends and we enjoyed each other’s company.

Strange, it was already eight in the morning and I had not heard any noise come from her room yet. I was sure she had to start at nine and she was cutting it a bit short if she was still asleep now. That was not like her at all.

I grabbed another coffee and read the paper. Half past eight and she still wasn’t up. Should I go and wake her up?

I walked to her bedroom door and knocked. No answer. I lifted my hand and knocked again. Still no answer. “Lydia, are you awake yet? It’s half eight.” Still no answer. I knocked again and grabbed the door handle opening her door.

Her bed was made, everything looked nice and tidy and there was no sign that she had been in her bed recently. A fresh uniform was draped over her chair. I walked to her bathroom. The door was open and no one was inside. I felt the towel and it was dry. It did not look like she had come home last night. Where was she?

I went into the living room again and sat on the couch. I got my phone out and phoned my sister. She would know if Lydia had decided to sleep over at one of the girls’ instead last night.

The phone rang for a few times and then Krista picked up. “What’s up, bro?”

I explained that Lydia was not at home and asked if she knew where she was. Had she perhaps stayed over with one of the girls? Krista explained that Lydia had left a little earlier than the others last night at around twelve. She had bid them goodbye and said that she was going home. She had no idea where she could have gone either. I told her not to worry, Lydia must have left to go to work earlier than usual today. Then I finished the call.

I still had an uncomfortable feeling though. It felt like someone was trying to squeeze my chest tightly to restrict my breathing. Something just didn’t feel right. I decided I would drive past her work on my way into work that morning. I needed to check she had arrived there safely. Was I right to be worried or was I worrying about nothing?

I hope you enjoyed that little taster of the first book, it is on as a #Permafree at many stores.

Love,